Connector.



I. C. STEARNSI coNNEcIR. APPLICATION FILED AIIG.22. I 9'I4.

Patented J al1. 16, 191?.

Lmgmp .H fr

, detachably secured.

JASON C. STEARNS, OF] WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONNECTOR.

imams.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J'AsoN C. STEARNS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Worcester, in the county of Voi-cester State oflvassachusetts,V have invented a new and useful Connector, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an electric connector and particularly to atype of connector in which one of the connected parts is Such connectorswhile capable of a variety of uses are particularly adapted for use inreecting head lights for automobiles and for other similar purposes.When thus used it is` customary to permanently secure one member of theconnector to the casing of the light before the casing is finished, theremaining parts of the connector being attached to said member as thelight is assembled. y

It is the obj eet of my invention to improve the construction'ofconnectors of the type abovehrefer'red to, with increased economy ofmanufacture, and increased reliability Vof operation.

4Vith this object in view my invention contemplates the provision of ashell having one or more sections of insulating material -inountedtherein and having improved devices for securing said sections withinthe shell. In the preferred form of my invention these devices are soconstructed that each of two sections of insulating material may bereadily secured in the shell Without the use of tools, while one' ofsaid sections can be readily detached and removed.

My invention also consists in the provision of an improved slidingcontact between the conducting elements of my connector and also in theprovision of improved means for securing an external conductor to saidconnector whereby the number ofelectrical connections in the circuit maybe materially reduced. Y.

My invention further consists in certain devices, arrangements7 andcombinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claim-s. y

A preferred form of my invention is shown in the drawings in which-Figure v1 is a side elevation of my improved connector; Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the connector shown in Fig.

specification of Lettera Patent.

and

my invention,

YPatented Jan. 16, 1917.

Application filed August 22, 1914, Serial No. 858,115.

1; Figs. 3 and f1 are a side elevation and a top plan view respectivelyof one section of the insulating material, with the parts associatedtherewith; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shell; Figs. 6 and 7 are aside elevation and top plan view respectively of the .second section ofthe insulating material and its associated parts, and Fig. 8 kis adetail view of a slight modification.

AsI shown in the drawings the movable parts of my improved connector aremounted within a shell 10. Whenthe device is used in connection withrefiecting head lights or for similar purposes the shell 10 is solderedor otherwise secured within the casing 11 indicated in' dotted lines inFig. 2.

After the shell is thus secured, the casing may be japanned or otherwisefinished as desired, the shell thereafter corresponding in finish to thecasing. The connector may also be used entirely separately from asupporting easing and possesses valuable advantages when so used.

Hthin the shell, in the preferred form of I secure twosections 12 and 13of insulating material. At the upper end of the shell, as viewed in Fig.1, I rvprovide an integral resilient tongue 14 having a circumferentialslot 15 formed therein. tongue 1a may be formed by cutting an L- shapedslot 16 in one side of the shell. Instead of cutting the L-shaped slot16, a straight slot 17 may be formed at each side of the resilienttongue as shown in Fig. 8.

The section 12 of insulating material ,is provided upon one side with aprojection or stud 18 positioned to correspond with the slot 15. Whenthe shell is secured to the casing 11 the resilient tongue is positionedwithin the casing.

In assembling the connector, the section 12 is inserted within the shelland turned,

in the shell for a purpose which will be hereinafter described butcannot be removedl from theJ shell without the use of tools to lift thetongue 14 over the stud 18. In this way I secure an absolutely reliableconnection between these parts, so formed that the parts may be .mosteasily assembled. Inasmuch as there 1s rarely anyoccasion to sepaturnedwithin the shell 10 when it is desired ratethese vparts after they areonce assembled the necessity for using tools to separate them is nodisadvantage..

. The shell 10 is provided at its lower end freely slidable'within theshell 10.

When the sections 12 and 13 are provided with two or more sets ofconnecting elements, as shown in Fig. 2', it will be evident that therecan be no relative angular movement between them. For this reason theslot 15 is provided, so that the section 12 may be to move the stud 22out of the-notch 21 into ,the strainght slot 2O for removallongitudinally from the shell. Where a single set only of conductingelements 1s centrally located in the sections, thel slot 15 may bereduced to acircular opening fitting the stud 18. y

One of the sections2 in this case the section 12, is provided with oneor more longitudinally movable spring-pressed plungers 30. Each plunger30 is positioned within a v 'v longitudinal recess'in the section 1-2and has a reduced portion 31 slidable in the contracted upper portionthereof. The plunger 30 is threaded at its upper end 4and extends into anut 32 having ai transverse recess 33 formed therein. The recess 33 isformed of two diameters, the smaller portion corre, spending in generalto the size of the external conductor 31 while the larger portioncorresponds to the outside diameter of the insulation 35 upon theconductor. The reduced portion 31 of the plunger 30'is surrounded bya'coil spring 36 which tends to move the plunger downward in the section12, thus drawinfr the nut 32 against the end of the section. he plunger30 is slotted at its lower end, so that a screw driver may be used toinsure a firm contact against the conductor 34.' The section 12 mayvalsobe provided with upwardly extending portions 37 by which the nuts 32 areprevented from rotation, while at the same 'time they are longitudinallymovable with the plunger 30.

The section 13 of the insulating material is provided with sleeves 40corresponding in number to the .plungers 30, each sleeve having a. hole41 drilled therein to receive a` secondl conductor 42. A screw 43 isinsertedthrough the side of the section 13 and is threaded into the wallof the sleeve 40. The screw 43 thus serves to position the sleeve withinthe section' 13 and also to bind in Fig. 2. The bushing 44 comprises athin metallic cylinder having a plurality of longitudinal slots 45 (Fig.7) formed therein.

The slots tdivide the bushinginto a series of resilient ngers whichnormally press slightly inward from the walls surrounding the bushing.Vhen the section 13 is to be assembled in the connector, the bushing 44is pushed over the plunger 30 and forms a resilient sliding contacttherewith. As the stud 22 approaches the upper end of the slot 20 theplunger 30 reaches the end of the bushing 4 1. Further movement of thesection 13 upwardly compresses the spring 3G within the section 12. Asthe stud 22 is turned toward the notch 21 the spring tends to seat thestud within the notch and prevents its accidental withdrawal therefrom.It will be seen that the plunger 30 contacts directly at its threadedend with the conductor 34, while its opposite end is in resili- .entsliding contact with the bushing 44,

mounted upon the sleeve 40'to which the conductor 12 is secured. Thenumber of elec-. trical contacts and connections between thetwoconductors is thus reduced to a minimum.

Many changes and4 modifications inithe' construction thus described willsuggest themselves to those skilled in the art and I do not wish to beliniited to the details 1. Ina connector, a` section of insulatingmaterial, a longitudinally spring-pressed plunger extendingtherethrough, said plunger being screw-threaded at one end, and.

means for securing a conductor directly to Said threaded end, said meanscomprising a nut longitudinally movable with but nonrotatable with saidplunger and having a transverse opening therein to receive theconductor, and said screw-tlireaded"plunger comprising the soie meansfor engaging and retaining said conductor in said nut.

2. In a connector, a section of insulating material, a. -pair oflongitudinally springpressed plungers extending therethrough, and'conductor-securing devices nonkrotatably mounted in a single grooveformed between parallel extensions of said insulating material, sa'iddevices having oppositely disposed longitudinal openings adapted toreceive the ends ofthe conductors and having transverse threadedopenings intersecting said longitudinal openings, and said plungersbeing screw-threaded at one end and eX-' tending through said transverseopenings to engage and hold said conductors within said securing devicesand to hold said devices in position in said section of insulatingmaterial. 4 3. ln a connector, a shell and a section of insulatingmaterial secured therein, said section having astud thereon, and saidshell, having an integral resilient' tongue with a circumferential slottherein positioned to i ment thereof, said resilient tongue permitting`separation of said shell and section when desired.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand, in the presence oftWosubscribing 15 Witnesses.

A 'Jason o. ennemis. Witnesses I PQA. BBEMIS, ALBERT E. Fev.

